DANBURY, CONN. -- A half-million dollars and the chance at a title no American has ever won. That's just another day-in-the-life of “American Ninja Warrior” hopeful and Western Connecticut State University graduate Joseph Moravsky.

On Aug. 5, Moravsky will compete in the regional finals of the obstacle course competition that will air on NBC. If he is successful, he’ll go to Las Vegas for one last chance at the coveted title. The show is the American version of the Japanese “Sasuke,” and has aired since December 2009 with no declared winner.

“This is like being on the basketball court in the NBA finals,” said the 24-year-old Sherman resident who has been a Season 5 star and was chosen from thousands of applicants in a prepared statement. “I love the thrill of being in front of the camera and being on the world’s hardest obstacle course. It’s the chance of a lifetime that you have to take.”

Moravsky said his physical strengths are balance and speed. His best event has been the salmon ladder, where he jumps up the rungs using only his upper body – and risks elimination from the show if he ends up falling into the water below.

“As a rookie I was nervous, but I also felt there were no expectations. I was nervous for myself because I knew how well I could do,” he said in the statement.

Moravsky isn’t just a ninja wannabe – he’s also a meteorologist, having earned his bachelor’s degree in meteorology from WestConn in December.

Moravsky said even though “ninja” isn't exactly synonymous with “meteorologist” by any stretch of the imagination, he said WestConn prepared him for the real world in many ways. Whether it’s during fierce physical competition or a fierce storm, being in front of a camera is something he first learned at WCSU.

“I wanted to be a meteorologist ever since I was a kid. I would be outside during a thunderstorm and looking at the clouds. I wasn't afraid to get out and put myself in harm’s way,” he said in the statement.